Transforming Fear

Self-created fears like public speaking hold us back from living fully. They breed self-doubt and stress. They rob us of happiness and fulfillment. In four easy steps, you’ll learn how to take back control, transform fear into an ally, and become more courageous.

Transcript

Hi,

I'm Jenna,

Owner of the Yogi Nest.

We offer alternative and holistic healing through mindful movement and mindset coaching in Los Angeles and online.

Today I want to talk about fear.

But before we get started,

I want to clarify that I'm specifically referring to self-created fears in this meditation,

Like public speaking for example.

There are people that might be dealing with threats to their physical and emotional well-being.

This does not refer to those types of threats and fears.

If there is an immediate risk to your physical or mental health,

Please seek professional help.

This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice,

Diagnosis,

Or treatment.

Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers.

If that does not currently apply to you,

Let's get started.

Self-created fears grip all of us,

And they have way more control over us than they should ever be allowed.

But here's the deal,

We need fear.

It keeps us safe when we're in physical danger,

But more often than not,

Our experience with fear is self-created.

You may fear public speaking,

Showing your true feelings,

Failure,

Etc.

But these feelings don't put your life in danger.

So how can we manage them?

Fear breeds insecurity and self-doubt,

Which can lead to stress,

Which can lead to lower immunity and more.

So it's imperative that we learn how to live with fear in a more harmonious way.

What if we could turn fear into an ally that would allow us to become more courageous and fearless?

When we become more mindful about our fears,

We also become more centered,

Focused,

And relaxed,

No matter what stands before us.

So how can we transform self-created fear into our greatest ally?

That's what we're going to be exploring today.

So find a comfortable place to sit or lie down with little to no distractions,

And we'll begin.

Whether you're sitting or lying down,

Make sure your spine is long and straight,

Allowing air to freely flow in and out of your lungs.

Once you're comfortable,

Find stillness in your body and close your eyes.

Allow your face,

Eyes,

Jaw,

And neck to be relaxed.

Allow your shoulders to release down away from your ears.

Now shift your focus to your breath,

Breathing in and out of your nose.

Follow your inhales as your body lifts and expands.

Follow your exhales as your body relaxes and finds comfort.

You may place your hands on your belly to help you connect more deeply with your breath,

Feeling the rise and fall of your breath beneath your palms.

Good.

Now let's do a quick breathing exercise that I find to be quite helpful when I'm feeling fearful,

Stressed,

Or anxious.

This breathing technique is called 4-4 breathing.

I'll guide you through it step by step.

You'll be inhaling and exhaling through your nose,

Both for the count of four.

Begin by inhaling deeply and slowly through the nose.

One,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Inhale three,

Two,

One.

Inhale two,

Three,

Four.

Exhale three,

Two,

One.

Good.

Now return to normal breathing in and out of your nose.

Take a moment now to feel the support beneath you,

Whatever that might be,

All the points of contact between your body and that support.

Knowing that it's there,

See if you can allow the body to relax even more,

To melt into that support,

Fully letting go of all tension,

Control,

Or places that are holding tight.

You're safe and you're protected.

If at any time during this meditation you feel fearful,

Come back to your breath and focus on the points of contact that are supporting you in order to get grounded and centered.

Fear is part of life.

Every single one of us has experienced fear probably many times throughout our lives.

Fear is an important part of the human condition.

It keeps us safe from physical harm and helps us react appropriately when we need to protect ourselves from danger.

But what about self-created fear like stage fright,

Public speaking,

Hiding who we truly are as individuals for fear that we will not be accepted,

Building personal walls to protect ourselves from broken hearts?

These things might be emotionally painful,

Stressful,

And scary,

But they don't put us in direct physical danger.

Instead,

They stop us from fully living our lives,

From taking risks that can help us grow personally in our careers,

In our relationships,

And more.

Today you take your power back.

I want you to take a moment to think about self-created fears that have controlled you throughout your life or held you back from fully living.

Is your fear physical?

Can you see it?

Does it make a noise?

Can you hear it?

Is it something like a fear of flying or commitment?

Public speaking?

Fear of failure?

Is it an insect?

An animal?

Is it otherworldly,

Like a ghost?

Can you touch it?

What does it feel like?

What does your fear feel like in your physical body?

Does it feel like tightness,

Pain,

Tingling,

Warmth,

Cold,

Fatigue,

Shortness of breath,

Sweaty or shaky hands?

What does your fear feel like emotionally?

Does it feel like panic,

Uncertainty,

Sadness,

Scattered thoughts,

Anxiety,

Or depression?

Now choose one self-created fear,

Maybe the one that grips you the most,

Or is currently stopping you from fully living your life.

Name it,

Either silently or out loud.

I'm afraid of flying.

Public speaking.

Being alone.

Stage fright.

I'm afraid of I'm not good enough.

I'm afraid no one will like me for who I truly am.

What are you afraid of?

Visualize it.

See it before you like a movie playing on a screen in a theater.

Experience what it feels like for you both physically and emotionally.

Remember to come back to your breath and the points of contact beneath you when you need to find comfort and get centered and grounded.

Take a moment to think about how realistic this fear is.

Ask yourself,

Does my fear put me in immediate danger?

If the answer is no,

Take back control.

Ask what is the probability that it could ever put me in physical danger?

A large portion of our self-created fears,

Like public speaking,

Pose little to no threat to our health and well-being,

And you may be holding yourself back from a career opportunity or sharing a part of you that could change someone else's life immensely.

And you're probably incredibly talented and smart and have something truly wonderful to offer.

But your self-created fear has paralyzed you from moving forward in your life.

So what can you do to overcome your fear?

I'd like to share four simple steps to help you get started.

Step one,

Take a deep breath.

We'll do it together.

Inhaling through your nose,

Filling the whole space between your belly button and collar bones,

And when you're completely full,

Open your mouth and let it go.

Do this a few more times on your own.

Breathing like this or using the four-four breathing exercise we did at the beginning of the meditation can be incredibly helpful when fear has taken over.

It can help you get grounded.

It can help you feel more centered and in control.

It can lower your heart rate and blood pressure.

It can slow your breath and calm your nerves.

Start always with your breath.

Step two,

And this may seem silly,

But you need to have a conversation with your fear.

And the beginning of that conversation starts with gratitude.

Start by thanking your fear for doing all it can to keep you safe.

But let it know that you've assessed the situation and you're not in any imminent danger.

There are no immediate threats and you need to do this thing to live your life fully,

To be happy,

To be successful and fulfilled.

Take a moment now to thank your fear.

Step three,

Ask your fear to come along for the ride.

For instance,

If stage fright or public speaking holds you back,

Know this,

You need to get up on that stage and deliver that keynote speech or perform a song for your fans or a skit to bring laughter into people's lives.

You need to share the unique talents that only you possess.

The world needs you.

So ask your fear to join you on stage,

But let it firmly know that you are in control.

Take a moment right now to cordially invite your fear to join you on your new fearless journey.

Step four,

Ask fear to loosen its grip.

It's allowed to come along for the ride,

But it can't hold your hand until your fingers turn blue.

If you're afraid of showing the world who you truly are because you fear rejection or think you're not smart enough,

Funny enough or good enough,

Know this,

You need to stand fully in your own skin.

You need to be fully who you are.

You cannot live your life to please others any longer.

You cannot hide anymore,

Remove your mask and ask fear to loosen its grip because you are perfect just the way you are.

And you're here to fully live the one life that you've been given.

The world needs you,

Who you uniquely are.

There isn't a single person on this planet like you and we need you.

You can provide the world with something no one else can.

And if you allow fear to hold you back from being you,

We will be deprived of what only you can offer.

So gently take fear by the hand,

Remove your mask and step out into the world fully as you are.

Fear will be with you.

It's not going anywhere,

But this time you're in control.

Take a moment right now to ask your fear to loosen its grip,

To give you some freedom and space to breathe.

You can apply this same conversation to whatever self-created fear is currently controlling you.

Fill in the blank and say,

I need to do this no matter what it is.

Do this right now,

Either silently or out loud.

Name your fear and then say,

I need to do this.

Tell your fear why this is so important to you for your life,

Your growth,

Success,

Wellbeing and happiness.

Lastly,

Imagine yourself free from this fear.

Maybe see yourself standing on stage,

Standing tall,

Proud and confident,

Delivering your speech,

Singing your song or doing your performance.

Or maybe you're stepping out into the world exactly as you are,

No mask,

Just a hundred percent you and all your uniqueness.

Or maybe you're allowing yourself to love someone fully and allowing that someone to fully love you back,

Even though you know you could get hurt.

But that's life and this person is too important to let go of.

The benefits of loving this human fully outweigh the pain and fear of losing them.

Imagine yourself facing your fear and doing whatever it is that you've been wanting to do your whole life.

That thing that fear has up until now stopped you from doing.

Take a moment to visualize this,

To see yourself standing safely side by side with your fear,

Close out this visualization by saying,

I have conquered my fear of,

And then say it again and again and again.

Good.

Physically,

How do you feel now compared to when we started?

Do you feel light?

Is there a sense of release and relaxation?

Do you feel ethereal,

Energized,

Or alive?

Emotionally,

How do you feel now compared to when we started?

Do you feel happy,

Calm,

Carefree,

Grateful,

Content,

Loved,

Admired,

Respected,

Or optimistic?

Mindfulness allows you to see fear as a passing experience that you actually have a great amount of control over.

I hope you can see that now.

Once you've determined that the fear in front of you is not life threatening,

You can once again stand in your power and take your life back.

Come back to this meditation anytime you feel fear gripping you.

Acknowledge your fear.

Name it.

Take it by the hand and allow it to become your greatest ally.

Remember the steps and come back to them as often as you need to.

Breathe.

Thank it for protecting you.

Invite it along for the ride,

But ask it to loosen its grip.

To close out this meditation,

Let's take one deep breath together,

Inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth.

Good.

Now bring yourself back to your body,

Bringing some small movements into your fingers and toes and when you're ready,

Gently open your eyes or drift off to sleep.

I know that facing your fears can be very scary,

But it's something we all have to deal with at varying levels throughout our life.

So it's imperative to have an open dialogue about it and to take back control so you can fully live your life without being gripped by self-created fears that hold you back from your full potential.

Please leave me a message to let me know how this meditation went for you and drop me any meditation requests that you think might be helpful for you.

Take care.

Reviews

Thank you 💫🤍

Thank you for the awareness, and strategies for transforming fear into mindful action.

That was amazing. I only wish there had been more silent time between each of the steps. Even tho I was familiar with this process I loved the way you phrased the ideas and the language you used. I can see myself using this again.

It’s true; we are all diamonds in the rough that deserve to be polished.

You are incredible Jenna 🥰. This is so absolutely incredible 🥰. I have no words to thank you, I am so very grateful 🥰. I had tears in my eyes as I did this, and just cultivating these beautiful feelings of knowing that I’m doing this, whatever I’m doing for my happiness, for my life, for my nourishment. I just think this meditation is a big blessing and it’s something I will return to often. I definitely felt so much better by the end, this is a powerful one for sure 🥰. Love love love it. Sending you so much gratitude and light, and hope you have an incredible, incredible day.

Love this meditation! I love her voice. The content is excellent. I am adding this to my faves so I can come back to it often.

Thank you so much! I have been experiencing a lot of fear based anxiety lately and this really took me deep. I will return to this practice often. Sending love to you!

Beautiful 🙏🏽

The guidance was amazing and I love the action steps shared about overcoming self inflicted fears

I really enjoy this meditation, transitioning into a new career and it's very nerve wrecking.

Thank you. Clear. Practical. Helpful. Sensible. Made a difference for me. Useful.

Thank you! This meditation is so helpful

Love this! Thanking fear and asking it to release its grip. My inner child needed this. 💙💙💙

Thank you so much